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Monday, July 26, 2010

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on 48 appeals filed by the Maharashtra government seeking enhancement of sentence of 67 accused who were awarded varying jail terms by the trial court for their involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Since the case was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in all the 48 appeals, the state government has moved through the investigating agency.

Besides this, the court listed 58 appeals by the accused, including cine star Sanjay Dutt, challenging their conviction and consequent sentencing. Of these 58 appeals, eight are of those who were awarded the death sentence.

A Supreme Court bench of Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice B. S. Chauhan directed that all said the replies to the notice and the rejoinders should be completed before the matter is taken up for final hearing on January 11, 2011.

The court made it clear that once the final hearing commences, there would no adjournments. Justice Sathasivam said that the hearing would take place on every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday till it concludes.

Even as Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam suggested that the appeals by the state government could be considered as admitted, counsel appearing for one of the convicts, Mushtaq Ahmed, objected to this, saying the CBI has discriminated in filing the appeal against the conviction and sentencing of the accused.

Meanwhile, the court allowed the centre to move an application seeking the shifting of Yusuf Abdul Razak Memon, the younger brother of prime accused Tiger Memon, from hospital to jail. The court extended by four weeks its earlier order allowing Memon to be shifted to hospital for his treatment of schizophrenia.

The court gave its nod after Gopal Subramaniam submitted that the hospital authorities have said Memon was better and was in a position to be moved to the jail. At this Justice Sathasivam said that CBI could move an application and accordingly directions would be issued.